Tigers executive officer Seames McPeake was reportedly considering Devendorf's release since November, when the team began to show early signs of struggles. The Tigers have limped to a 6-12 record and sit second from last in the NBL standings.

"The Melbourne Tigers are a proud organization with a rich history and hard decisions need to be made in the best interests of the club and the fans," McPeake was quoted by NineMSN.com.

"At times this season the performance of the team has not been consistent with the club's expectations of their respective roles and we have a responsibility to the fans and stakeholders to ensure every representative of the Tigers meet the high standards expected.

"For the remainder of this season we are looking to the future and the opportunity will arise for the young players attached to the Tigers roster to take the next step up."

Because NBL teams are allowed just two import players, those two roster spots are often-changing. The Tigers replaced their other American import earlier this year.

Still, with Westover's backing, Devendorf remained with the team and emerged as a steady contributor from his shooting guard position. But the team continued to slump and, after last weekend's loss to the Sydney Kings, McPeake promised changes.

Devendorf, the all-time leading scorer at Bay City Central who went on to Syracuse University, delivered a breakout season in the NBL-New Zealand in the spring to earn a shot in Australia. He stepped right into the starting lineup and remained a fixture for the Tigers until his release.

Wellington Saints general manager Nick Mills said in December that his team hopes to bring Devendorf back to New Zealand in the spring. Devendorf was named one of the league's top five players while leading the Saints to the NBL-New Zealand championship.